Harrison County Iowa Genealogy

HISTORY OF HARRISON COUNTY, IOWA, 1915
BIOGRAPHIES
Page 496
JOHN YOUNG

The whole career of nearly half a century of John YOUNG has been spent in Harrison county. Formerly he was a farmer, but since 1903 he has been engaged in business in Modale. For some years he was manager of the telephone company in Modale and at the same time was active in the California Grain and Lumber Company, at California Junction, Iowa. He helped to organize the Modale State Savings Bank, and has been connected with this institution ever since its beginning. He also is interested in a garage in Modale.

John YOUNG, the son of William and Lydia (LEE) YOUNG, was born November 1, 1865, in Concinnati township, Harrison county, Iowa. His parents were natives of Ayrshire, Scotland, and Thompkins county, New York, respectively. The LEE family are of German descent and trace their ancestry back to Revolutionary days. The Youngs came to Harrison county in 1863 and located first in Modale, but later moved to a farm, where they lived the remainder of their lives.

John YOUNG was the youngest of three children born to his parents. After the father's death in 1899 he and his mother continued on the farm until 1902, when they moved to Modale, where his mother died, October 18, 1914, at the age of ninety-one years and five months. Mr. YOUNG received a common school education and later took a commercial course at Woodbine. He was engaged in farming until he moved to Modale, and since locating in that town has been engaged in various business enterprises.

In 1903 Mr. YOUNG organized the Modale exchange of the Inter-State Telephone Company, and was general manager for six years. About the same time, 1903, he was elected president of the Modale State Savings Bank, which was organized and incorporated at that time. He has continued as president of this financial institution since its organization. Before that time he had been active in the promotion and organization of the California Grain and Lumber Company, at California Junction, Iowa, and still retains an interest in that company. In April, 1913, in partnership with Doctor Cooper, Mr. YOUNG opened a garage in Modale and took the agency for the Maxwell cars. The firm does all kinds of automobile repairing and has a shop well equipped to do good work. In addition to his interests in Modale, Mr. Young owns twelve hundred acres of land in Harrison county, in Taylor and Cincinnati townships. He has responsible tenants residing on his farm.

Mr. YOUNG always has been a Democrat in politics, but has never held any except minor offices. He has not cared to take an active part in political matters, leaving that to others who are so inclined. He is a member of the ancient Free and Accepted Masons and holds all of the degrees, including the Knights Templar degree. Mr. YOUNG has never married. He is a man of strict integrity and no one in the community enjoys a higher degree of respect and honor. He is one of the substantial citizens of Modale and is ever ready to lend a helping hand to such measures as he believes will be of general benefit to his community.

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